sangwyn  03/07/08

Comparing Angel and Buffy (as series) is like comparing Buffy and Willow (as characters): both are terrific, but entirely different. No one is ever interested in more of the same, unless their names start with CSI or L&O

Allimuffin  03/07/08

As a hardcore Buffy fan, I tried to get into Angel when it started, but there was something very unfocused about the tone of the show, and I abandoned it after half a season. I'm getting back to it now and enjoying Season 5 very much (probably because of Spike), but I haven't seen anything yet to deem it the better series.

**I agree that David Boreanaz was not the best actor back then, but check out his work now on Bones. He has grown immensely as an actor, and now has the mad skills to go with his darkly handsome presence.

CptSassyPants  03/07/08

Wow. Tough throwdown. I actually got into Angel before I really started watching Buffy. Each show has it's highs and lows, but I think my heart is with Angel. I like the character development a lot better. Like Miranda said about Wesley and Cordelia changing over time. Just fantastic. The transformation of Wesley from Buffy to the end of Angel is intense.

As for the acting. I agree that David's acting skills weren't that great on Buffy. I watch the old episodes and sometimes cringe a little bit. But I think David did a great job on Angel. Especially in season 4 when he got to rock out as evil Angel again. Other than that, the acting on Angel was great. I mean Amy Acker as Fred and then as Illyria. I didn't even see one once of Fred in there (and I'm not talking about the makeup).

sangwyn  03/07/08

Buffy and Angel were about very different things. Buffy was about the angst of growing up in your teen years, and what to do when, in addition to having to grow up like the rest of your peers, you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Angel was unfocused at its start as to what it really was about. Angel ended up being about the choices we make and living with those choices (which is why Cordelia had to grow up).

While I agree that the whole of the Wesley arc was and is one of the most remarkable of any character in any genre ever, this arc might never have happened at all based on AtS at its outset.

When Angel was spun off, Joss Whedon mentioned that Boreanaz was the kind of actor that you want to write for (he mentioned the guy's "presence"), so perhaps he wasn't given as much room on Buffy to grow. And, c'mon--Angelus was fun. It's hard to be the Guy in the White Hat with no one giving you any background on which to build depth, because you could make choices that Joss would want to contradict later. I can attest to the fact that DB has presence, and had it long before he moved out to CA.

Buffy or Angel as series? While I hate comparing such disparate things, I'd have to vote for Buffy. Why? At the end of the day, Buffy made me laugh more than Angel did, for which I was deeply grateful. And while the Angel cast of characters as a whole was wonderful, the characters on Buffy had richer history that lent itself to better cohesion for the series.

randomlove36  03/07/08

My thing is that Buffy was easier to relate to overall and I think that had the most appeal. Angel was an amazing show, but it got its start from Buffy and didn't have as many stand-out episodes as Buffy. I think Buffy will stand the test of time, but Angel might not

Allimuffin  03/07/08

I never heard that Joss Whedon made that comment about DB. When Angel turned bad in season 2, it really made DB open up as an actor. His performance was a lot more interesting (and chillingly creepy) while he played Angelus.
Going back to Whedon's comment, I think that as an actor, DB seems up for trying anything. That's a great quality to have and to be around.

Also, one of the things that makes DB so compelling is his willingness to be vulnerable --I think that's what gave his early work depth (whether he meant it to or not), earned him a regular spot on Buffy, and then his own series.

Again, his work on Bones is fantastic and I really encourage all Buffy and Angel fans to check out his performance. DB rocks my socks.

Moononastring  03/07/08

Wow this is like choosing between my children. It really is a tough call. Buffy had 3 really amazing seasons (1, 2, 3) and really good one (5). Angel had 2 (2 and 3), but it didn't last as long. I think Angel probably had better character development, and I really liked the darker tone of it. I love the relationships between the characters, especcially about how they change over time. And I actually think DB is a great actor and was fantastic on Angel...he gave the role so much depth, and he was able to seamlessly be funny, evil, heartbreaking, cute, and dark. Also, I think the archs of Wesley, Cordy, and Fred are 3 of the most amazing in all of Buffyverse, and where these characters went really made sense.

I had a harder time with some of the developments on Buffy (Xander getting darker as the series went on just wasn't as seamless as Wesley's arch), I never fully bought into Willow's progression, and I hated the sidelining of Giles at the end of the show. That being said, Buffy was more consistently engaging, and there are more "rewatchable" episodes. Plus, despite the fact that season 4 and 5 of Angel have MANY great episodes, I really think the show jumped the shark at that point. Maybe it was the whole Connor/Cordy thing that left a bad taste in my mouth, or just the fact that Cordy was gone in season 5, but the end of the show just felt "off" somehow.

So in the end, I think both shows were incredible (fantastic writing, great characters, good development over time), and both had their flaws. I guess I have to give it to Buffy by a hair just because it was the show that started it all, and because it probably has more memorable "moments" than Angel did. Plus, it was my first TV love, so it holds a special place in my heart. But I definitely think there were times when Angel was the superior show, and I do think it was better when it came to taking the characters to unexpected places that still made sense.

loglady  03/07/08

As a huge BTVS fan I honestly never got into AtS when it was airing (though TNT constant early morning reruns always threaten to make me late for work). Mainly that had to do with my not liking Angel's character on BTVS.

Because of that I don't have those indelible moments in my head like I do with BTVS:

leaving the scene of a tattoo midway b/c I really needed to get home before the season 6 finale (yeah...I ran to the car bloody and inky, made it home just in time)

hearing the phone ring over and over in the other room many a time, and not answering it

finding out that one of those missed calls was announcing the birth of my newest niece

and really I could go on (and on and on, you get the picture) BTVS was there for all of those moments and for that reason alone it will always rule

******COMIC SPOILER*******




plus now that Buffy is at least 'kinda gay' even better reminds me even more of a time in my life....

RobGrizzly  03/08/08

This reminds me of a line from Kill Bill. If you're gonna compare a Joss Whedon show, you compare it to every other show that wasn't made by Joss Whedon

HoneyBunny  03/09/08

I discovered both shows on DVD during the writer's strike this year. I never watched when they were on TV, not even reruns. That said, I fell for Angel first because it seems more adult, darker, intense, and defined by the small but phenomenal ensemble cast. Every season added growth to the characters and the stories themselves kept me enthralled.

Buffy rules when she's in high-school! But Angel is also an important part of her universe at this time too. As the seasons go on, I found myself losing interest and tiring of the many more characters and story arcs.

Both shows are wonderful. But I think Angel wins because his presence added depth to both shows while Buffy doesn't seem to belong outside of Sunnydale.

Whocares  03/10/08

I don't really think you can compare the two shows, however I think that Buffy is better for re-watching. I don't get the same enjoyment from Angel. Buffy runs the gambit of emotions and themes. Angel was very one-note for me and while I don't discount that, I just say I always enjoyed Buffy more.

As for the whole can DB act or act well, I don't exactly think Emmy's (for whatever they are worth) are in his future, but I don't think he dragged down or held back the other actors on either show. If anything made them shine a bit more.

MirandaEH  03/11/08

In case you're curious, I did this more as a devil's advocate deal because I LOVE Buffy. Buffy is my favorite TV show of all time. I've watched some episodes a crazy number of times. That said, I do think the Big Bad pattern was a bit weak, but whatever.